Wed Jun 25 18:45:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
Two years after riding into power on an anti-corruption platform, the Congress government in Karnataka, led by Siddaramaiah, is now battling similar allegations of corruption. The accusations are surfacing from within its own ranks, with legislators expressing discontent over alleged bribery in housing allotments and administrative inaction. An audio clip implicating a senior MLA and an associate of a Housing Minister further fuels the controversy. The opposition BJP and JD(S) are seizing the opportunity to criticize the government, alleging widespread corruption at the ministerial level. The government is also facing criticism for halting development work and denying funds.
**News Article:**
**Karnataka Congress Government Faces Corruption Storm From Within**
**Bengaluru, June 26, 2025** – The Congress government in Karnataka, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, is facing a growing crisis as allegations of corruption surface from within its own party ranks. Just two years after sweeping into power promising to eradicate corruption, the administration is now grappling with accusations of bribery and administrative malfeasance that echo the very charges they leveled against the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
An audio clip, allegedly featuring a conversation between senior Congress MLA B.R. Patil and Sarfaraz Khan, an associate of Housing Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan, has ignited the controversy. In the clip, Patil purportedly alleges bribery in the allotment of houses under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Ltd., sparking embarrassment for the Chief Minister.
Adding fuel to the fire, Congress MLAs Raju Kage and Belur Gopalkrishna have publicly voiced outrage over the alleged housing scam, calling for Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan’s resignation. Kage went so far as to declare that the State administration has “collapsed.”
The opposition BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) are seizing on the opportunity. BJP leader R. Ashok has accused the government of demanding significant sums from each Minister to fund upcoming elections, while JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy claims legislators must make “payments” to implement schemes in their constituencies.
The government is also facing scrutiny from the Karnataka Lokayukta, with recent raids across the state adding weight to the corruption allegations. Home Minister G. Parameshwara and D.K. Suresh, brother of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, have recently come under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Internal sources suggest the allegations stem from factionalism within the party, the existence of multiple power centers, and the pressures of implementing the Congress’s ambitious “five guarantees” program.
The unfolding scandal has sparked public cynicism, with growing concerns that corruption has become endemic to state politics. Unless addressed, critics warn that unchecked corruption will stifle Karnataka’s growth and disproportionately impact vulnerable communities.
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